Considering buying a 2005 2720SL from private owner

FishGal

FishGal

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
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291
Location
Rockville, Maryland
O.K., been looking at purchasing a TM for some time. Even convinced dh to go to and RV show in another state earlier this year to see a TM 'live and in person'. We don't have any TM dealers and no RV dealers near home.

Since I'm staying home and we're a one-income family, we're looking at a one-owner 2005 2720SL that's been used only a few times. From looking over the forum, it looks like we might need to replace the tire, check the seals and maybe re-caulk. Also, it's been in a garage and we don't have one, so we'll need to purchase a cover. Found useful info in the forums. We don't have room for a garage, but I think I'll set up one of those portable garages on the side of the house and use a cover as well.

Is there anything in particular that I should look for when I see the unit? I've already checked into insurance and know that there may be other costs involved, but want to make sure I do my homework before taking the plunge. Also thinking about joining the Good Sam club. Anyone use that with their TMs?

Thanks!

Potential TM :new_newbi
 
Assuming they haven't been changed, 3 tires FOR SURE, with metal stems. You didn't mention your tow vehicle (tv), but you may need a weight distributing hitch (wdh). You will need a brake controller for your tv to actuate the trailer brakes if you don't have one. Your tv should have a tow package, which will make life easier. Need a 3" drain hose, a white drinking water hose, and a gray hose to use so your drinking hose doesn't get contaminated. I'm sure others will chime in, but these are some of the biggies. Hope it works out for you.
 
Regarding Good Sams, are you talking about the camping discount program or Emergency Roadside Service? ERS is absolutely critical if you travel any distance from home. It's cheap and even covers things like tire changes. Good Sam is my ERS. Camping World offers GS and at a discount for first year customers. I do not subscribe to any camping discount services but if you check it out and it covers the campgrounds you want to go to, then it's a deal.

Looking at the unit, it would be great if the unit can be set up with the fridge cooled down before arrival. That can take a while and not easy to do when you go to see a trailer - a more expensive appliance to replace but I've only had one fridge problem in several years - due to a manufacturer glitch - not a problem that developed. Also, there are checklists for buying RVs which are pretty universal. I don't have any particular one I prefer but if you search here and other RV forums for an "rv buying checklist", you should find some great sources.

The main "deal breakers" are water damage and associated problems - soft floors, water stains, repairs which were "just fixed" or "easy to fix" (usually means RUN). Also check for rodent damage. Check means "ask" and "inspect". Conflicting stories (and thus, red flags) come out easier that way. Other potential deal breakers are pet history and smoking. Pet dander is easier to deal with but may be intolerable if anyone has severe allergies - smoking odor will probably never be satisfactorily eliminated.

Other than that, I'd go through the whole process of opening *and* closing the unit, soup to nuts, then you or DH will see exactly what it is made of. Everything in the TM should operate smoothly and without brute force. No strange noises. You'll know quickly if something has been "used", "used and abused" or "babied".

The 40 gal fresh water tank is a bonus - so I'd check for that (not familiar if this model/year came with that standard). The swing hitch would enhance future value even if you won't currently store in a garage.

Have fun. The looking and buying is fun so enjoy that process.
 
Good Sam membership for camping discounts is a good deal assuming you use RV parks. As for Emergency Roadside Service, there are other options. In some states (including Utah where I live) a standard AAA membership also covers travel trailers at no additional cost. Also check your insurance policy. Often you can get roadside service coverage for a lot less than Good Sam. I have no beef with Good Sam. Just think you can get the same coverage cheaper.

Keith
 
As you rightly pointed out, it will probably need 3 new tires and possibly a new battery (5-years is about life expectancy on most batteries).

I would also stop at the closest garage and have the wheel bearings serviced before towing it home (if it's a long drive) unless the owner has proof that the bearings have been recently serviced (don't take his word for it....nice guys are a dime a dozen). If they haven't been serviced, I would obtain a new set of bearings and seals, just in case. They're cheap enough and you can usually take them back if not needed.

Your comment, "a one-owner 2005 2720SL that's been used only a few times" leads me to think that this trailer has sat in storage for long periods of time. The worst thing that one can do to trailer tires and bearings is let the trailer sit for long periods of time.

Sounds like you may have stumbled upon a real jewel here. If you conduct this transaction wisely, you should get many years of good service out of a lightly used 2005 TM.

BTW.......I wouldn't be overly concerned about the caulking if the trailer was garage stored and lightly used. Inspect it carefully before tearing it all out. That's a lot of work and chances are the original caulking may be just fine. Sun exposure and towing stresses are what cause the caulking to fail. Sounds like this trailer may have had neither.
 
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You didn't mention price which may be the most critical item. Regardless of condition the price must be right.
 
Wow! What great info! Due to a death in the family right after the unit was purchased, it was garaged and stayed there until now. They claim everything works just fine. So, I need the help of the experts on the forum for what to look out for, especially with a TM.

I'll be towing with a 2002 Tahoe. Has a towing package, so I don't think I need a wdh. Hope to pay about $12,000 or less for the unit. We need to negotiate a price. I'm getting a list of options tonight so I can run a blue book.

Not towing far, they live just a few short miles away. But, can any sort of mechanic perform the wheel bearing work? Also like the suggestion of turning on the fridge before we arrive to make sure it cools down. How do I test for leaks? Do I have them take out of the garage and set up and hose it down? Didn't think of that. I was going to look for water damage, but if it hasn't been used in a while, may not be any evidence.

Thanks everyone. I'm starting to work on dh and convince him that this is a good time to be a TM owner. His cons are that it's a lot more work that tent camping. My pros are that the dw will be happy! When mamma's happy, everyone is happy, right? :)
 
Not to be too contrary, but "it's a lot more work than tent camping"??? Very few things are as much work as tent camping! Certainly one of them is NOT camping in a TM!
 
tgpmd1 said:
His cons are that it's a lot more work that tent camping. My pros are that the dw will be happy! When mamma's happy, everyone is happy, right? :)
Click to expand...

More work than tent camping? How? With the TM, you don't have to pack dishes, cooking utensils, paper products, cleaning supplies, bedding, lights, stoves, coolers - we do still take one for drinks - fuel for cooking.......so many things! This alone beats tent camping. If it rains, you don't have to pack a wet, muddy tent and tarps up and go home to dry everything out. And you have a SINK! And a bathroom! And a stove and a refrigerator and lights with switches and heat if it gets cold.......yeah, momma will be really happy. :p We tented for years - I didn't mind it, but the TM is soooo much better.
 
tgpmd1 said:
His cons are that it's a lot more work that tent camping. My pros are that the dw will be happy! When mamma's happy, everyone is happy, right? :)
Click to expand...

More work than TENT CAMPING?!?:eek: The TM is less work than even camping in a pop-up! When we had our pop-up, it was lots more work pulling out the bed ends, then arranging the canvas, go inside and put the canvas support in place, once for each bed. Usually took us around 15-20 minutes to set it up completely ready for camping. TM takes us just under 10 minutes. Then, taking down the pop-up for the trip home was another story, especially if the canvas was wet.

Good luck,

Bob
 
I think that the statement, "His cons are that it's a lot more work than tent camping" may be referring to the maintenance of the TM (or any RV for that matter).

The one nice thing about tent camping is that once you get home, clean your gear and put it away, you're done with it until the next camp-out. You don't have to pack the w/brgs, wash the camper, store the camper, change the tires, fiddle with the wiring, buy new tires and battery every few years, own an appropriate tow vehicle (and maintain it) etc, etc, etc.

I think that one must enjoy the fiddling with these darn things as much as the camping. I know that if I only camped once or twice a year and didn't care for messing with the trailer, tent camping may be a better option for us. However we camp a couple times a month and working on the TM is a good hobby for me.
 
Harveyrv, I think you hit the nail on the head. We are very organized with our tent camping so we have it down to a science. We even have an outdoor kitchen with running water (GSI camp kitchen). My son just moved up to Boy Scout from Cub Scouts and I think he's afraid that we won't use it as much as tent camping, plus he stated last night, "how long does it take to winterize and annual maintenance?" I couldn't answer that one.

We used to camp a lot more often, but I've been volunteering so much in the few years that I really don't get much vacation time. Hope to get a lot more individual camping done than the group camping thing since my son has finally moved out of Cub Scouts. Still going to do the Camp Director thing for Cub Scout Day Camp since I still have three years left on my certification and I love working with youth to get them outdoors.

I'll still trying to convince dh to see the unit. Asked the person selling it if they could move outdoors and start the fridge up. We'll see what they say. Also waiting on the list of options.
 
I was worried about winterizing....turned out to be very easy. Took less then 1/2 an hour and that was with a 10 minute break. LOL Really not much more then opening the drain lines. Most do it on the last outing, then put it away for the winter.

Keep working on him! it's worth it.
 
tgpmd1 said:
Harveyrv, I think you hit the nail on the head. We are very organized with our tent camping so we have it down to a science. We even have an outdoor kitchen with running water (GSI camp kitchen). My son just moved up to Boy Scout from Cub Scouts and I think he's afraid that we won't use it as much as tent camping, plus he stated last night, "how long does it take to winterize and annual maintenance?" I couldn't answer that one.

We used to camp a lot more often, but I've been volunteering so much in the few years that I really don't get much vacation time. Hope to get a lot more individual camping done than the group camping thing since my son has finally moved out of Cub Scouts. Still going to do the Camp Director thing for Cub Scout Day Camp since I still have three years left on my certification and I love working with youth to get them outdoors.

I'll still trying to convince dh to see the unit. Asked the person selling it if they could move outdoors and start the fridge up. We'll see what they say. Also waiting on the list of options.
Click to expand...

The Boy Scouts have their ways of doing things, which were great fun for them on cold rainy winter nights that had us wondering how they are surviving out there.

We, on the other hand, have been really interested in Boy Scout knots and recipes over the years, but wouldn't trade our TrailManor to go back there. On his campout weekends, you can enjoy going somewhere else with hookups!
 
Also look under the TM. If the trailer was really stored inside and not used much, under the trailer should be clean. There really shouldn't be any rust and check the frame. Check where parts are welded for seperation or cracks and cracks around the cutouts in the frame where the torsion bars go through the frame. The axle might have a slight curve in it, that's normal. The high part of the curve in the axle tube should be in the middle. The first place I look at anything that drives on the road is the bottom.

I bought my 2008 slightly used in 2009 and it looked new. You can tell the difference between slightly used and not. Open all the cabinets and look inside, especially under the sink. I spent 2 hours at the dealer looking at mine before buying. The dealer (Custom RV) said look all you want and let us know if you have questions. It was really nice to look at everything without being rushed. Then they spent an hour and a half just explaining and showing me how everything worked. Good Luck Robert
 
Another thought - even if you buy it and try it out and decide it's not for you, the resale market on TM's is very good, so if you're getting a good deal on it and decide to sell, you probably won't be out anything. Good luck!
 
We saw the unit and tomorrow we are going to be TM owners! I need to look at the forums for some info about a few things, but overall, it's in great shape, no leaks even after the rains we had the last couple of days. Opened and closed great. The underside of the TM was clean and looked great. The only thing they forgot to do was turn on the fridge, but the A.C. and most other things seemed to work well. I think we'll have a test run at home in a few days. I want to check on replacing the tires and wheel bearings first.

One question, when we tested taking down the bathroom walls, the power went out, then came back on when the put the wall all the way down. Is that normal? We closed it up twice and it did the exact same thing, but everything else electrical seems fine.

I'm so excited! Thanks for everyone's help with this. I hope to meet other TM owners sometime soon.

The excitement of a new toy!!!

Pure joy!
 
Sounds like you've found a good one. Ask them to put the frig on propane tonight and then make sure it works when you go see it again. If it works on propane, you can use it anywhere, with or without hookups.
 
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